Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 663 - 617: Husband and Wife’s Chain Plan (1)_2
Mr. Li’s cleverness was truly unexpected.
"After the matter is settled, you can ask for any reward you want," said Ling Yuezi, looking at Li Xingsheng, her face slightly embarrassed.
If he wanted to consummate the marriage, she wouldn’t mind.
Li Xingsheng’s rigid scholarly air appeared again as he smiled and bowed to Ling Yuezi, saying, "As long as it’s given by you, madam, I, Sheng, will be happy with it all."
Ling Yuezi coughed lightly, wondering if he would be shocked at that time.
"Then it’s settled. I’ll go make the arrangements," she said with a smile on her lips, glanced at him, and turned to leave.
.
By the end of May, the rice seedlings in the paddy fields were spiking, but it was not yet time for harvest.
Zhen An Prefecture is located in the south, and the earliest early rice is harvested at the end of June.
At this time, only the large households had grain reserves, while the poor families had already reached the bottom of their rice bins, managing their days with wild vegetables and other grains.
The people of Feihu Village had been surviving on the grain seized during the winter, lasting until the end of May, which was no small feat.
The Eight Major Affairs of the village had begun urging the second master and Ling Yuezi to find a way to gather more grain, starting two weeks before.
Ling Yuezi took some silver coins and sent people to buy some grain in the town, but it was only enough to last five to six days, which was no long-term solution.
The second master sent people to gather grain from more distant large households, but they didn’t collect much, even less than what Ling Yuezi had bought.
Altogether, it was only enough for seven to eight days.
But there was still a month before new grain could be harvested.
The people in the village started to lose hope again.
The Chief under Ling Yuezi commented on the scant harvest by the second master’s men. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
The second master’s men retorted, "The grain was a tribute from the large households to our village, not bought with money. You collected more, but spent quite a bit of money."
Ling Yuezi looked over the records made by Mr. Li and said, "Let’s consume this grain for now. In a few days, I’ll personally find more grain, so there’s no need for further disputes."
One of the second master’s subordinates felt a sense of pride in his steps as he left after completing his tasks today.
.
With additional grain in the village, people’s moods improved significantly.
They gathered in groups, eating meat and drinking wine.
At the second master’s place, several confidants surrounded him, drinking until the second watch without dispersing.
"Second master, that kid named Li is starting to see himself as important! He’s acting as if he’s on par with you as the second master," someone flattered the second master while speaking ill of Li Xingsheng.
Ling Yuezi and the second master were equals, and since her marriage, Ling Yuezi had kept Li Xingsheng by her side, placing him on the same level as the second master.
The second master had long been dissatisfied with Li Xingsheng but hadn’t found a chance to act against him.
Ling Yuezi and Li Xingsheng were nearly inseparable; Ah Qing, Ah Lan, and other skilled maids often accompanied them.
The second master could barely match Ling Yuezi in a fight; with the addition of the maids, he wasn’t confident in winning.
"Then let’s go all the way!" The second master thought of a plan, his lone eye filled with murderous intent.
"You just say the word, second master, and I’ll help you vent your anger and teach him a good lesson!"
"That Mr. Li, who prides himself on knowing a few words and calculating a few accounts, volunteered to be the village accountant. We’ve recently brought in a batch of grain, haven’t we? Ask him to go weigh it and distribute it to each compound. Then..." the second master glanced at his subordinates and revealed a plan.
Everyone applauded the idea, "Great idea, second master!"
"Tomorrow morning, invite Mr. Li to the warehouse," the second master said with a cold smile.
"Yes, second master!"
.
Early the next day, Li Xingsheng and Ling Yuezi were having breakfast.
A warehouse steward came looking for Li Xingsheng, requesting him, as the accountant, to register the grain distribution.
Ling Yuezi and Li Xingsheng exchanged a glance; the opportunity had arrived!
She said to Li Xingsheng, "Indeed, it should be distributed according to the rules. Husband, eat quickly, and take Ah Qing and Ah Lan with you to the warehouse once you’re done."
Li Xingsheng smiled, "Alright."
Before Li Xingsheng came to the village, the one keeping accounts in the warehouse was an old man, the uncle of a small marauder.
The old man knew a few words and had been appointed as the warehouse accountant by the Big Master.
However, being over sixty, he was slow in his work, and the second master had long wanted to replace him with someone of his own.
Ling Yuezi decisively appointed Li Xingsheng to take over the accountant role.
Li Xingsheng knew many words, wrote quickly, and calculated rapidly.
The second master tried all sorts of tricks to make things difficult for him, but none succeeded.
He kept meticulous records, calculated carefully, and never made mistakes, earning great admiration from everyone in the village.
